IPD Product Costing Guidelines Rev Sep 2007

3.2.2 Blow molding (Extrusion)

a) Process description and potential materials

Process description
Extrusion blow-molding is a good process for hollow thermoplastic objects (especially bottles
and containers). The process begins just like an extrusion process, in which a thin tube is
extruded into the middle of a cavity. Then, air is blown into the tube forcing it to expand against
the walls of the cavity. The outside wall of the part takes the shape of the cavity wall.

The part should have radial symmetry, and be relatively smooth. The simplicity of shape is what
allows this process to work. Shapes more complicated than plastic pop bottles or baseball bats
will be considered too complex for blow molding. See the instructors for an appraisal of the
part.

Process schematic

<Source: CES (Cambridge Engineering Selector) Ver. 4.5>

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IPD Product Costing Guidelines Rev Sep 2007

Process flow chart

He ating Extrus ion Air Blowing Eje ction

Material
Thermoplastics commonly used include: HDPE, LDPE, PP, ABS and uPVC.

b) Costing information
If you can blow mold the part, we will use the following cost model. The major differences (we
will assume) between extrusion blow molding and regular extrusion are:
1) The need for the forced air mechanism (increasing machine costs).
2) The cooling time.
3) The control for wall thickness in case the part has different diameters (For example, consider
a cone. The wider portion would have to begin with more material than the narrow portion and
this would have to be controlled in the extruding process).
4) There is no need for a cutoff operation.

Hence, our costs can be computed as follows.

Costing guideline:
• Compute the die cost and the unit cost using the extrusion guidelines.
• Add to the die cost $700 times the difference between the maximal radial diameter and the
minimal radial diameter (in inches).
• Compute the machine time costs from the injection molding costing guideline model as an
approximation.

Example:
Suppose you wanted to cost out a simple cone that is 5” tall, has a narrow diameter of 1” and a
maximal diameter of 3”, and has wall thickness of 1/8”. You want to blow mold this part from
high density polyethylene. The costs would be computed as follows.

Basic extrusion costs: A rectangle circumscribing the part would be 3” on a side, or 9 square
inches in area. Hence, the die cost is
$500 + 500(1) + 3(9) = $1027.
Note that a blow molding die will always have a center cavity, and so H=1.

The per unit cost in the basic extrusion model is just the material cost, which is the volume used
costed out at the extrusion cost model. The volume of plastic in this part is 3.93 in^3 for the
sides of the cone and .98 in^3 for the two ends. So the total volume of plastic is 4.91 in^3.
Injection molding guideline gives us material cost of $0.9/kg (= $0.41/lb) and the specific
gravity of .95.

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IPD Product Costing Guidelines Rev Sep 2007

This means that this material weighs .95 times as much as a similar volume of water. Multiply
the specific gravity by .036 to get the lb/in^3 for any material.

In this case, we get (.95)(.036) = .0342 lb/in^3 which at 4.91 in^3 volume is .168 lb per part, or
.168(.41) = .0688 or $.07/part.

This means that the piece part cost from the basic extrusion model is $.07. I have assumed no
difference in wall thickness, which is constant at 1/8”.

Adjustments for extrusion blow molding: Add $700 times (3-1=2), or $1400 to the tool cost.
The machine time cost for a part of this configuration is computed using the injection molding
costing guideline and

Material = high-density polyethylene

Weight = (4.91)(0.95)(0.036)lb = 0.168lb = 76g
Volume = 4.91 in^3
Maximum wall thickness = 1/8 in
Projected area = 7.07 in^2
Part depth = 5 in
Number of surface patches inside = 1
Number of surface patches outside = 1

From the injection molding costing guideline, the machine time cost per part is $.31.

So, the cost for extrusion blow molding for this part is:

Fixed tooling cost: $1027+$1400 = $2427

Variable cost per piece: .07 + .31 = $.38

Note that if you wanted a cone without ends, you would have to cut these off as a secondary
operation.

c) Design guidelines
Primarily used for bottles and containers - from small bottles to large (10000L) oil storage tanks.
Useful for larger containers and irregular shapes e.g. detergent bottles, drums, tanks, toys (balls,
baseball bats, etc.). Used for thin-walled hollow or tubular articles with small openings (e.g.
bottles). Irregular shapes are possible.

The part should have radial symmetry, and be relatively smooth. The simplicity of shape is what
allows this process to work. Shapes more complicated than plastic pop bottles or baseball bats
will be considered too complex for blow molding. See the instructors for an appraisal of the
part.

Limited level of reinforcement possible for composite materials (i.e. particulate and short fibers)

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IPD Product Costing Guidelines Rev Sep 2007

The wall thickness should be as uniform as possible to ensure more rapid molding cycles and to
avoid distortion.

d) Data Sources / Sources for further Information

CES (Cambridge Engineering Selector) Ver. 4.5, Software
Geoffrey Boothroyd, Peter Dewhurst, Winston Knight (2002). Product Design for Manufacture
and Assembly. New York, Marcel Dekker.
Dominick Rosato, Donald Rosato, Matthew Rosato, (2004), Plastic Product Material & Process
Selection Handbook, Oxford, Elsevier

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IPD Product Costing Guidelines Rev Sep 2007

3.2.3 Compression molding

a) Process description and potential materials

Process description
Compression molding is similar to injection molding, except the machine is somewhat simpler.
In compression molding, a slug of material, called a charge, is placed in a heated cavity where it
softens. The mold is then closed forcing the plastic to take the shape of the cavity. Cooling
times will depend on the maximal wall thickness, and range from about 20 seconds for small,
thin-walled parts to several hours for very large, thick parts. The basic trade-off is to trade lower
tooling costs for longer cycle times on cheaper machines. Also, the cavity must be fairly simple
in shape so that the plastic will flow nicely under the ram pressure. There is no material lost in
runner systems. We will assume a modest labor charge for placing the charge in the cavity. This
will add very little to the variable cost of each part.

Thus, compression molding is a good choice for plastic parts with very simple shapes.

Process schematic

<Source: CES (Cambridge Engineering Selector) Ver. 4.5>

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IPD Product Costing Guidelines Rev Sep 2007

Process flow

Tool making Charging Melting

Discharging / Curing / Pressure &

Ejecting cooling heating

Material
Mainly used with thermosetting plastics. However, elastomers and thermoplastics may also be
processed.

b) Costing information
To cost these out in IPD, first make sure that your shape is very simple (half-spheres, cones, etc.
that will easily fill under ram pressure). Cost out your part using the injection molding module.
Then, adjust the costs as follows.

Tooling cost: Use 1/2 the basic injection molding cost guideline.
Material cost: Use the material costs per part from the injection molding cost guideline, as there
is no lost material in runners in a compression mold.
Machine time: Use the injection molding machine time cost unadjusted. If we assume that the
machine cost is 1/2 that of an injection molding machine, but the cooling time is twice as long,
then the total variable cost for machine time remains constant.

Example calculation: compression molding for flat washer in ABS plastic.

Let’s suppose injection molding cost guideline gives:

Total tooling cost: $8,657.
Material cost/part with basic mold: $.23
Machine time cost/part with basic mold: $0.22

Hence, the relevant costs for compression molding are:

Tooling cost: $4328.5
Material cost/part: $.23
Machine time cost/part: $.22
Total piece part variable cost: $.55

Note that compression molding will always save fixed costs, so that compression molding is
usually a better choice for simple part shapes. Hence, if you have a simple part shape that is
amenable to a simple cavity and ram molding process, you will want to consider this process.

Note that you will still be penalized for very long cooling times, and this will still be driven by
maximum wall thickness.

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IPD Product Costing Guidelines Rev Sep 2007

c) Design guidelines
Limited to simple shapes. Undercuts not recommended. Thermoplastics require heating and
cooling cycles decreasing production rate. Frequently used for particle or short fiber-filled
composites

d) Data Sources / Sources for further Information

CES (Cambridge Engineering Selector) Ver. 4.5, Software
Geoffrey Boothroyd, Peter Dewhurst, Winston Knight (2002). Product Design for Manufacture
and Assembly. New York, Marcel Dekker.
Dominick Rosato, Donald Rosato, Matthew Rosato, (2004), Plastic Product Material & Process
Selection Handbook, Oxford, Elsevier

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IPD Product Costing Guidelines Rev Sep 2007

3.2.4 Insert molding

a) Process description and potential materials

Process description
Insert molding is an exotic form of injection molding where metal (or other material) inserts are
molded into the part. Basically, the inserts are manually inserted into the mold before the mold
is closed. More automatic processes (which incur higher capital costs) are sometimes used for
higher volume parts.

Process schematic

Inserted part

Process flow
Tool making Melting Insert components
Plastics to tool

Discharging / Curing / Injecting

Ejecting cooling

Material
Like injection molding in general, insert molding can be accomplished with a wide variety of
materials, including polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic
elastomers, and many engineering plastics.

b) Costing information
To cost out an insert mold, use the injection molding module just as it is for your plastic part.
Then, add $.03 per insert to the variable cost.

Example:

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IPD Product Costing Guidelines Rev Sep 2007

Suppose you are adding two inserts per part in a four cavity mold. You are adding 8 inserts per
cycle, adding another $.24 to the variable cost. You must also charge yourself for the inserts,
which must be sourced or manufactured.

c) Design guidelines
In general, the basic design rules for insert molding are the same as those that apply to injection-
molded parts. The primary factors that restrict the use of insert molding are not process related,
but are determined by the strength and other properties required for the molded product.

d) Data Sources / Sources for further Information

CES (Cambridge Engineering Selector) Ver. 4.5, Software
Geoffrey Boothroyd, Peter Dewhurst, Winston Knight (2002). Product Design for Manufacture
and Assembly. New York, Marcel Dekker.
http://www.bpf.co.uk/bpfindustry/process_plastics_insert_moulding.cfm (Date: 10/09/05)

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IPD Product Costing Guidelines Rev Sep 2007

3.2.5 Rotational molding

a) Process description and potential materials

Process description
Rotational molding involves placing material in a heated die and slowly rotating. As the plastic
melts, it coats the die to the desired thickness. The die is then cooled and parted. To avoid under-
utilization of the oven, machines typically have multiple arms, each with at least one mold.
While one arm is in the oven, others are undergoing cooling, unloading or loading.

Process schematic

<Source: CES (Cambridge Engineering Selector) Ver. 4.5>

Process flow
Tool making Charging Rotating &
heating

Discharging / Rotating /
Ejecting cooling

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